Qrow vs Bulat
Qrow vs Bulat is a Death Battle by Peep4Life. Description Season 2 Episode 18! RWBY vs Akame ga Kill! The mentors of Ruby Rose and Tatsumi go to battle - with their legendary reputations preceding them, will it be Huntsman or Night Raid assassin taking their final bow? Interlude (Invader) Wiz: The mentor always proves a vital character in many series - they set a benchmark for a level the main characters will one day surpass. Boomstick: And that's comforting when the one working under you is a natural prodigy. Today, two handpicked talents and teachers go blow for blow. ' Wiz: Qrow Branwen: the Bad Luck Charm. '''Boomstick: And Bulat: the one hundred man slayer. He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick. ' Wiz: And it's our job to analyse their weapons, armour and skill to find out who would win a Death Battle. Qrow Branwen (A Much Needed Talk 3) 'Boomstick: The ultimate sympathetic character. ' Wiz: In a world with a giant battle played out in plain sight, and yet, in secret - Qrow Branwen was originally born in the tribe: Branwen. Thanks to his semblance, the tribe named him ''Qrow ''and sent he and sister Raven to Beacon Academy to learn the ways of huntsmen and huntresses. However, they were not sent to aid the huntsmen. '''Boomstick: Instead, they were learning how to murder them instead. Interesting turn. The Branwen siblings would become a half of Team STRQ - along with Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long. Wiz: The team were exceptional, easily some of the best students Ozpin had ever seen through the academy, and he immediately set to work granting unique powers to Qrow and his sister - making them serve as his eyes against Salem. Qrow would often be spying for the professor, scoping out what Salem was doing and then reporting back to the rest of the Inner Circle. Ultimately, devotion to Ozpin would play a huge role in the destruction of Team STRQ. Boomstick: One day, Summer went on a mission and never came back. Raven decided to leave her family so she could lead Tribe Branwen and inherit the Spring Maiden's powers. Tai remained as the father of Ruby and Yang, but Qrow would be the one still serving Ozpin. ' Wiz: During the build to the Vytal Festival, Qrow would return to Beacon - butting heads with the Atlesian authorities. He would stay in Vale to try and assist the huntsmen against the horde of Grimm, but could do nothing for the academy as it fell. Instead, he recovered Ruby from the tower and would give her the hint to trace the villains to Mistral. '''Boomstick: Qrow followed her every step of the way, making a save when Team RNJR got their asses handed to them by Tyrian. He would suffer injury for his troubles, and needed carrying the rest of the trip to Mistral. ' Wiz: Fortunately for Qrow, they made it in time and he would be treated for his injuries. In Mistral, he would play a vital part in Ozpin's side once again - being the focal point of a trap set by Lionheart, Raven and Cinder. He brought along the entirety of the huntsmen available and set about dueling his sister and the traitorous headmaster. 'Boomstick: Since then, Qrow accompanied Ruby and the others to Argus, where they were able to learn about Ozpin, making Qrow question his intentions and reason for being there. Luckily, he came around and helped save Lie Ren in the battle with Atlas and is still alive in the faction today as we enter mainland Atlas. ' (Qrow vs Winter) Wiz: Remnant is filled to the brim with mysterious forces and powers. Chief among them is the mysterious energy known as aura. Aura exists in all living things, and can protect them from harm for periods of time. Qrow's aura has been a particularly helpful asset as he was able to protect himself from harm against the likes of Winter, Raven, Lionheart, Hazel and Tyrian when it was active. 'Boomstick: Aura is finite though, meaning it will not last forever. See, if Qrow takes too much of an ass kicking, the next attacks could easily be fatal - like with his fight with Tyrian. Was the faunus eliminated his aura, Qrow was entirely vulnerable to his stinger. ' Wiz: It's unclear what exactly broke the aura; that portion of the fight happened off screen, but the likelihood is that Qrow's aura was destroyed by the collapse of the building on top of him. Qrow did tank several shots and slashes by Tyrian, but large parts of this was thanks to his weapon: Harbinger. 'Boomstick: This weapon is kinda the Jack of all Trades; it's a sword, which is powerful enough in its own right to cut through giant stone pillars. ' Wiz: His sword was also pwerful enough to generate a shock wave upon a slamming clash with Tyrian's weapons in Oniyuri. While yes, Tyrian was also attacking at the same time, Qrow was the main applicant of force in the exchange, so the majority of that damage was his own. '''Boomstick: The sword is a large weapon, and can be used to break falls, and can even allow Qrow to perch himself on the handle. Like a boss. ''' Wiz: As a sword fighter, Qrow's skills were roughly on par with Tyrian Callows, being able to acrobactically match the Scorpion Faunus in battle for several minutes. In a drunken state, he was also able to keep up with Winter Schnee - a special operative of the Atlesian Army. '''Boomstick: See? Being absolutely shit faced ''does ''help in a fight! Wiz: Well, for Qrow any way - I have seen you brawl. Boomstick: Y-You have? Wiz: I was at that Stag Do... Boomstick: Y-You were? Huh... In any case, Qrow is a fine swordsman, but why stop at just wielding a standard sword? In Remnant, it seems there is a minimum two weapon combo required. ''' Wiz: In Harbinger's case, Qrow combines the use of a shotgun in the hilt of the gun, powerful enough to damage the interior of Atlesian mechs. In addition, it is precise enough to be effective on Winter from a great distance away. The fact that those shots came anywhere near their target is nothing shy of miraculous. '''Boomstick: And finally, Qrow's weapon can also rotate into a scythe. Which he styled after the Grimm Reaper! Wiz: Imitating the legendary bane of Grimm, Qrow designed his scythe with enough strength to tear through Atlesian tech with ease. He is well renowned for his skills as a scythewielder. Boomstick: We'd love to explain some examples, but Rooster Teeth seem to have forgotten that Qrow was the one to teach Ruby how to scythe in the first place. So... take our word for it? I mean, he did cut down that one Griffon with it. ' Wiz: Now, Boomstick - he has used the scythe as a resource rather than a weapon at times as well. It helped him fight Tyrian when he pulled a plank of wood to hand for balance... and then... uhh.. '''Boomstick: Moving along, Qrow can also throw a wicked punch when he has to. Or if he fancies it. He was able to send Oscar flying several feet away with a single strike, and was able to momentarily overpower Tyrian. ' Wiz: His bare hands were also enough to tear down a pair of Atlas soldiers, ripping their mechanical bodies in a swift motion. With that said though, he only resorted to it against Tyrian because he couldn't prevent himself being disarmed in the first place. Then there was also the fact he was only capitalising on a distraction by Ruby. And he only did this to the mechanical units because their backs were turned. 'Boomstick: Qrow can shape shift into a bird, thanks to the power bestowed on him by Ozpin. This helps with recon, and with simply transporting to and from locations in a hurry. He managed to reach Oniyuri to save Ruby, as well as using it to rescue Ren in a moment's notice in Volume 6. ' Wiz: He can change in and out of this form at any point, and but has shown little to no talent as a threat with the bird. Also, there's no saying his aura protects him in bird form, but he never has it in his interest to be caught when he is in this state. '''Boomstick: Well, unless he's gonna kill them with pecks or superstitions? Wiz: Well, the latter just might happen. Qrow's semblance is unlike anything possessed in RWBY; Qrow's semblance is bringing misfortune. Boomstick: The reason it is so unique is because of the unpredictability of it. ' ''Qrow Branwen: It's not exactly something I do; It's always there, whether I like it or not. '' '''Boomstick: Qrow's misfortune is an always active semblance that can attack at any point, which is why he is sent away on far away missions so often. ' Wiz: He can not control who it effects, especially if there are more than one person in an area. It's this reason why he wanted Tyrian in a one on one fight; he knew it would endanger Ruby if she got close. And it did. 'Boomstick: So, as you can imagine, Qrow is quite unwelcome in most areas when his semblance is known. ' Wiz: But it does have its perks; the bad luck did work on Tyrian when Qrow forced him to crash through a roof and when he baited Winter into having to stop her attack. While Qrow himself does not know how much his semblance is in play, he can at least try ''to manipulate circumstances, often isolating foes. '''Boomstick: As badass as the man may be, he is not immortal. Sometimes, his fighting style is exploited in combat. Tyrian and Winter were both able to cope with his style, and he even lost to Tyrian outright. ' Side Note: Again, as mentioned in Akame vs Tyrian, that is my own interperatation of the fight. It looked to me that Qrow - strictly speaking - lost via being disarmed. Yes, the fight picked back up, but thanks to Ruby's intervention. '' Wiz: Qrow can also lose his aura quickly if he takes heavy hits early on. He does also seem to struggle with physically superior foes such as Hazel. '''Boomstick: But everyone struggled with Hazel... ' Wiz: Well... yeah. But that still includes Qrow, doesn't it? But whether or not Qrow is wins or loses the fight, he always commits his whole being to the cause. His name is synonymous as a threat to villains across Remnant: a true huntsman indeed. Tyrian Callows: I think we've had enough talk now, don't you? Qrow Branwen: You took the words right out of my - '' ''Tyrian leaps at Qrow, and the pair engage in a duel. '' Bulat (Liar Mask) '''Boomstick: All the great heroes have a guide. But there was something... off about how Bulat trained Tatsumi. ' Wiz: Was it the parts where he punched him out repeatedly? '''Boomstick: No, no. That made sense to me. But I never understood creeping him out with those looks of his. And god help me; what ''is ''that hair? Wiz: His disguise - Boomstick: About as subtle as a kick in the nuts. ' Wiz: Right, but it made him look nothing like the image of him from his Imperial days. Bulat was a fantastic soldier of the Empire, serving alongside ally Liver. Unfortunately, the Empire was corrupt and Bulat shifted to the Revolutionary Army after his long time ally was accused of treason. '''Boomstick: Bulat saw first hand the value bribes held in the Empire over merit and servive, sickening him. He would join the assassin clan in the name of giving the Imperial Capital a serious revamp. ' Wiz: Upon the recruitment of Tatsumi, Bulat became essentially the big brother in Tatsumi's life. He showed him the general ropes of Incursio and of swordplay. He would train alongside and against him, honing both the youngster's, and his own skills in combat. 'Boomstick: He was pretty smart, and always possessed a tremendous knowledge of the battlefield and the surrounding area. This is evidenced more than once thanks to his deep focus amid group attacks. ' Wiz: The knowledge he tried to impart on the young Tatsumi was simply to be always aware of his surroundings - and that it took more than passion to survive. Bulat would continue to display his effectiveness even through the Three Beasts arc, where he killed two thirds of the beasts - adapting to old friend Liver's numerous tricks along the way, before finally succumbing to a toxic attack. 'Boomstick: In his final moments, he passed on the legendary Incursio to Tatsumi - allowing him to smoosh the final beast. Bulat would be honoured by the rest of the Night Raid members who trained as hard as they could every day in the hopes of carrying out the elimination of the crooked Empire. ' (Susanoo) Wiz: Bulat was an incredible fencer both under his time at Night Raid and as an Imperial Officer. He could strike with deadly strength and precision, being able to take out groups of individuals often in a single hit. 'Boomstick: He was a regular in training, often sparring with the younger members of the assassin group in order to perfect his own, and ultimately his team's, skill. ' Wiz: He was well respected and feared by anyone who was unlucky enough to cross blades with him. Even General Esdeath gave him special attention - not surprising when on the battlefield you are known as the one hundred man slayer. 'Boomstick: One hundred and twenty eight to be exact, Wiz. ' Wiz: Ugh. The point is, his skill was very evident based on his high rank in the Empire and the lethal reputation he obtained. However, Bulat was more than a reputation; he duelled Liver aboard a cruise and adapted to his old comrades vast number of tricks on the fly. When stripped down to simply their blades, Bulat emerged victorious in decisive fashion. 'Boomstick: He could also use his blade defensively thanks to his amazing reactions. Against Liver - a phrase you'll hear ''a lot ''in this analysis - he was able to react to, and block, the bulk of the beast's Blood Sword attacks. ' Wiz: This was done in a single handed flurry of swipes, with Bulat only being tagged once or twice by the poisoned projectiles. However, most men would have been annihilated instantly. The sword was more than that, however, Bulat's blade was the key to his Imperial Arms: '''Boomstick: INCURSIO! Wiz: Demon Armour: Incursio is a Teigu created by the first ever Emperor of the Capital. It was an armour type Teigu created as a prototype for Grand Chariot, but was the most commonly known of the pair. Boomstick: I mean, you know this suit is pretty swanky when it is made from the flesh of the Danger Beast: Tyrant. Incursio could adapt and evolve for the user, but did not do so for Bulat as much. Not that it meant too much; he wielded a fierce spear weapon, which he used to batter foes often in a single hit. Wiz: Bulat wielded the spear as a clubbing item, which would help him subdue enemies in groups. When the Three Beasts tried to jump Bulat, he threw all three of them off in a single strike, cutting one of them clean in half. Boomstick: He could also launch the damn thing - much like a traditional spear - only this was being wielded by the badass Bulat with the Demon Armour behind him. Incursio also offered a natural physical edge, being a chunk of armour, but it was not unbreakable. ' Wiz: Liver managed to damage Incursio a fair bit in their fight, using the water pressure to break the face of the suit and then still damage Bulat beneath the suit. It was also extremely taxing to use it, as was the case with a lot of Teigus. Thankfully, Bulat being in the shape that he was allowed him to effectively wield the Teigu often for as long as he needed to. '''Boomstick: Even without the Imperial Arms, Bulat was as durable as anyone. The Three Beasts did a number on him, even having his blood poisoned, but he still powered on enough to see Tatsumi accomplish his mission. ' Wiz: What is exceptionally impressive about that was Bulat fought on with a massive stab wound in his thigh. He had stabbed himself to focus on the pain instead of the hypnotic lullaby Nyau had performed. He then won out against two of the other beasts and endured a lot of punishment along the way. '''Boomstick: It takes more than a splash of water, a cheap lullaby, a goddamn brute and a drugged up baddy to stop the fire of his spirit! Wiz: Uhh, right. And Bulat's Incursio had one final Trump Card - a unique skill to all Teigus. Incursio's was invisibility. This is pretty explanatory; Bulat could go invisible to the naked eye and ghost around the battlefield with ease. That was, however, unless his enemy was really skilled and could sense his aura. Boomstick: Invisibility could come in especially helpful on recon missions, but could easily be used on the battlefield as well should Bulat have called on it. Although, I'm not sure how he masks that clunky suit's noise. ' Wiz: You've got me there. Bulat was top of the line, there is no doubt about it. His weaknesses mainly stemmed from his lacking speed. But when you consider his other attacking outlets, I doubt he's too disheartened by missing out on pace. Especially when more often than not, the key to victory lies in his hand. ''Bulat: Hmph. INCURSIO! '' ''The armour encases Bulat as he prepares to engage Daidara! Intermission Wiz: Alright the combatants are set. Let's end this debate once and for all. '''Boomstick: It's time for a Death Battle! Fight Location: Ship - Vacuo Bound (RWBY) “Uncle Qrow?” “What’s the matter, kid?” “What are we doing on this boat?” (Falana) The camera panned down to Qrow, who smirked a short grin. “Well, this is supposed to be where we meet with an associate. Supposedly they have an idea of what to do with regards to the relic under Shade academy.” Qrow looked down at Ruby, who seemed focused on the waves bouncing off the side of the ship. “And I guess we’re only bringing two of us, because?” Ruby pondered, not breaking her gaze. “Well, we don’t exactly have the money for ten passengers.” “Eleven, technically. Counting… Ozpin.” Ruby’s voice trailed off into a whisper, as if Ozpin was a taboo topic these days. Qrow was a lot less relaxed now. “I’m going to have a walk around the top deck. Try and keep out of trouble, alright pipsqueak?” he asked, putting down his drink. He then made his way topside as Ruby stayed put. On the surface, he felt an eerie cold when he noticed two passengers mysteriously begin to shuffle to the other side of the deck. He thought about reaching for Harbinger, but left it where it was. For now. The waves did begin to pick up at this point, giving the boat a much rougher journey and, as if to mock Qrow, the heavens opened. “Sounds about right.” Qrow mumbled, looking over his shoulder before taking off as a bird to gain a vantage point. (Music Stops) He stared back down at the deck, noticing someone reappear from what seemed to be an invisibility mode. And then, the armour they were in disappeared. Qrow waited, allowing him to unite with another passenger – a short girl with pink hair. He then managed a closer look at the poster they were looking over. Oh no… In big, black letters, the word “WANTED” introduced none other than Ruby Rose. “They’re after Ruby… then that means someone tipped them off about where we were headed!” Qrow thought. As the female disappeared, Qrow came flying back in, forcing the previously armoured foe to stand still. (Night Raid Appears) “You might as well come out, you know. I knew you were watching.” Bulat said confidently. Qrow’s eyes widened as he transformed back into his human form. “What’s the meaning of that poster?” he demanded gruffly. Bulat smirked. “She’s one of Night Raid’s targets. Her eyes seem to cause quite a lot of trouble.” “Trouble for who exactly? What, is Night Raid a fancy name for Salem’s followers now?” “Salem?” Bulat pondered, shaking his head shortly afterwards. “I can see in your eyes that the girl means something to you. I can also tell that assuring you of your own safety will make no difference.” Bulat began to draw his sword. Qrow quickly snapped Harbinger into life. “You may be doing your job as an assassin, but I can’t let you do this.” “I understand. But as much as I do empathise...” Bulat then yelled out a cry, as he slammed his sword against Qrow’s Harbinger. “The mission comes first!” he yelled! (Bad Luck Charm) FIGHT! While Bulat’s strikes were strong and true, Qrow’s swings of Harbinger were fast enough to repel them. The Huntsman nimbly leaned in and out of each side, realising how heavy Bulat’s strikes were. He looked to create any opening he could through the potential of an unbalanced foe, but Bulat offered little let up. The assassin realised that this was almost certainly a feeling up process, and quickly changed up his combative style, releasing one hand from the handle of his blade and applying more nimble, and choppy strikes with his blade. Qrow began to break his position, backing further up on the ship with low dives and rotated blocks of the Harbinger. The sounds of metal clanging off one another filled the area, as more passengers began to panic and head below deck. The Huntsman skidded to a side, using the pooling rainwater as an advantage, before looking to kick Bulat off pace, but the former Imperial soldier was able to shift his body and allowed Qrow to slide past. Then, with a swift hook of his free arm, Bulat punched Qrow in the back of the head, sending him skidding on all fours. But the huntsman was not down for long, and switched his blade into the rifle function, catching Bulat by surprise but doing little more than annoy the assassin – who was forced to block the attacks. Bulat would be the next to attack, springing forwards with a sprint. Qrow went to meet him, parrying the attack with a low cut. As the concussion of the attack rifled through the area, Qrow struck with a punch, which Bulat blocked with one of his own. The strength of the assassin fended off Qrow, but the defiant huntsman carried on swinging, eventually trading a hammering kick in there as well - blasting Bulat in the gut. “You’re good. Could easily have fit in alongside me on the battlefield.” Bulat praised, combing his hair back properly. Qrow smiled, amused by the compliment. “Interesting to butter the guy up after putting a hit out on his niece…” he shot back, firing off a few rounds from Harbinger. Bulat blocked them, but then – something unusual happened; Bulat’s weapon slipped from his hand. “What the?” he wondered aloud, as Qrow smirked, knowing what was afoot, and then flew at him with a fierce right hand. Qrow nailed several punches on the recovering Bulat. “Thing is, you couldn’t account for how hard this was going to be…” Qrow said coldly, as he grabbed Bulat by the chin and lifted him up. But the assassin head butted Qrow, sending his Harbinger skidding across the wooden deck. “Huh. That’s unfortunate.” Qrow grumbled, as Bulat ran him into the wall. The pair went back to trading punches and kicks, which saw Bulat begin to gain the advantage. He then lamped Qrow with a meaty punch, knocking the huntsman overboard. Qrow held on, and caught a glimpse behind him. That wave was massive. He knew a distraction could aid him here, so quickly transformed into the crow and raced past Bulat’s face, drawing his eye. Bulat took a swing, going off balance and turning his back to the growing wave. Qrow returned to normal, engaging a lock of blades, before shunting Bulat back slightly, right as the wave rocked the ship, sending him tumbling off balance and scattering further down the deck. Qrow then felt a weight off his shoulders, turning to the doors to the interior of the ship. (Akame vs Kurome) “RUBY? RUBY!” he called, frantically searching each cabin. No response, minus a few scared and confused faces from the other members of the cruise. He made his way towards a set of double doors, where he saw Bulat waiting on him. “I knew I couldn’t keep you away for long. They did say that if she had company, they were going to be of the defiant variety.” The assassin said with a smirk. Qrow gritted his teeth. “Where is Ruby?” he demanded. Bulat waved his finger. “You know I can’t give you that answer. Now come on: Hit me with the best you’ve got!” he ordered, practically beckoning the Harbinger back to Qrow’s hand. In a swift motion, Qrow thrusted the weapon at an angle for a swift decapitation on the assassin, who hammered back with his own blade. This time, the pair were throwing bladed haymakers as opposed to testing jabs. The rage glared through Qrow’s eyes, whereas Bulat showed focus. Until, anyway, Qrow’s semblance paid dividends again… This time, as Bulat took a step back, the rainy surface saw him slip slightly. The diversion allowed Qrow to whack him in the head with the handle of Harbinger, creating a bruise instantly. Qrow carried on the offense though, sensing victory was nearing. He missed a high cut on Bulat, and had to dodge a heavy swing of the assassin’s own, but he managed to quickly keep the tables in his favour, punching him in the chest and sending him careening into the wall. Bulat took a moment, before returning to his feet. He swiped at the incoming Dust round by Qrow, and rushed one more time, this time engaging their fiercest lock of blades yet, which partnered up with a wicked crash of thunder. The pair weaved in and out of each other’s attacks, as Qrow looked for whatever weaknesses he could. Bulat’s movements were very few, but purposeful, allowing Qrow to gain a foothold again. And then, just like that, he swept his leg across the deck and sent the huntsman tumbling over. Bulat followed through, slamming a fist right across the mouth of Qrow. But the huntsman recovered and landed on the ledge of the boat, staring back across at Bulat. The ex-imperial soldier smirked in admiration of the challenging foe. “I think I’ll let you witness my Imperial Arms – you’ve earned that much.” He then placed a hand on the deck of the boat and let out a cry: with all the fire in his soul! “INCURSIO!” (Approaching Queen Zenobia) A ring of flames swirled around Bulat as the Teigu formed over his body, wielding the giant spear in one hand and standing before the huntsman. “Pretty badass, huh? Now then: let’s see how far your limits can be pushed!” Qrow puffed out his chest, and flipped Harbinger in his hand. He rushed to intercept the swing of the spear, but the might of Incursio sent him airborne. “Heh. That’s a nice piece of tin you wear, but I can take you.” He responded smugly. He landed several feet away, and then weaved to his right, avoiding a hammering spear strike. Bulat kept up the pressure, tracking Qrow’s footwork even through the heavier rain. “So, where do you even get a suit like that to begin with?” Qrow asked, leaping back and perching up on the edge of the ship. Bulat smirked beneath the suit. “Ancient Danger Beast, actually. Guess you don’t know your history.” He said wittily, taking a swing. Qrow slid beneath, and slashed the leg of Incursio, and then followed with a sequence of several more chops and cuts, which all seemed to bounce off Incursio’s frame. Qrow remained focused, however, targeting the face and the chest with every move. He quickly began firing more rounds from the gun compartment, but Bulat began to rush him. The huntsman ducked the spear, and grabbed it – trying to engage a lock up with him. But Bulat swatted him away, forcing Qrow to cover up in anticipation of the follow through attack. The spear engaged Harbinger again, this time with Bulat’s press being on top of Qrow’s. The pair grunted in defiance during the lock, but they both knew only one guy was coming out of that exchange the winner. So Qrow rotated Harbinger again, clipping shot after shot into Incursio’s face. Bulat backed off, unable to continue the exertion of his strength, and took a wild swing at Qrow. The huntsman ducked, hammering again at the midsection, but coming up short. Bulat whacked him on the side of the head, knocking him skidding across the deck. But then, something caught both of their attention. (Music Stops) “We reached mainland already?” Qrow said in doubt. “The ship must have lost its way in the storm. Some unlucky passengers on board, huh?” Bulat responded. “Yeah…” Qrow muttered in realisation. They turned to face each other again, but this time Qrow took the liberty of going high – into the mast of the ship. Bulat went to cut it down, but Qrow used the momentum of his drop to slam against the spear. For once, Qrow topped Incursio in strength, but he had to capitalise on it as soon as possible; Bulat was already drawing strength for another attack. As Bulat’s arm came rising up, Qrow ducked in the same direction, which did take him momentarily off balance. He quickly drew Harbinger across his chest, taking a punch right to it from the recovering assassin. Qrow tumbled overboard, but quickly took flight to recover himself, turning into a crow before hitting the water. He flew towards the rapidly approaching land and made himself comfortable on the port. “Ruby, please tell me you’re getting off the boat soon.” (Adramelech 1:08) But before he could commit another thought to his niece, Bulat emerged from his invisibility, and engaged Qrow again. The spear tangled with Harbinger as the pair went up the docks, weapons swinging wildly. Bulat’s strength and Qrow’s surprising nimbleness complimented one another, until one of the wooden planks beneath Bulat snapped, ensnaring his leg. Qrow took advantage, slashing across his front and then delivering a double footed kick to the back of the armour. Then, with one powerful strike, he launched the suit careening across the boardwalk, peeling the wooden surface as it went. Bulat recovered after a few seconds, and slammed his weapon through a crate, launching it at Qrow, who chopped through it, skidding on a knee before the assassin. Again, their weapons locked, and again Qrow looked for speed as a response but Bulat grabbed him by the cape and hoisted him back. Qrow nearly choked on the clothing, but stabbed Harbinger over his shoulder, through the fabric and revealing the barrel of the gun. “Surprise.” He grumbled, firing right into the face again. Qrow then leapt up, spiralling several times to build momentum, before slamming down on the armour’s shoulder, rocking Bulat again. Sensing he was in a spot of trouble, Bulat kicked Qrow in the chest, freeing himself. When the pair went to trade their next sequence of attacks, Qrow loosened the grip on Harbinger, allowing it to fly upwards as a result of Bulat’s attack sweeping upwards. This momentarily distracted the assassin, who was caught sword watching, and allowed Qrow kick him in the back of the legs and then spring up at the Harbinger, slamming it downwards and using the concussion of the blades impact on the floor to send Bulat skidding several feet away. This time, Bulat ended up by a sea side market, the smell of fish permeating the now expanded battlefield. But Bulat remained focused, deflecting Qrow’s gunfire with casual tilts of the spear, anticipating Qrow’s steps as he ran. “Man, I kinda wish Tatsumi was here to see this.” Bulat thought to himself, picturing the youngster’s fanboyish reactions. But he was soon back to business, as he then out, and tilted his weapon so it was directly horizontally placed before him. It rammed Qrow’s deliberate downward strike, and dazed the huntsman. Qrow went for a wild swing, but Bulat pulled away, allowing Qrow to keep going and cut down the stand. The roof then fell on the former tribe member, and Bulat panted heavily. He turned away, assuming victory, but Qrow’s semblance was still active and Bulat’s tested armour began to reveal openings up them. Bulat then quickly turned around, realising Qrow was indeed the reason Incursio was in danger. The Night Raid assassin span around on the spot, as Qrow came flying at him. Bulat’s spear caught Qrow in the stomach, sending him reeling before the assassin took a giant swing, looking for the decapitation. Qrow ducked, and the weapon lodged itself into the wooden post nearby. Qrow wasted no time in slicing away at the assassin, pushing him away from his weapon and then kicking him away. Keeping between his foe and his weapon, Qrow cut for the face of his enemy, who caught the blade as they both fell – unbalanced by their own momentum. They landed in the water, and Qrow realised that the ship had – somehow – managed to get back on their original course. “RUBY!” he yelled in realisation, watching the ship vanish into the distance. “Luck really seems to not be on your side.” Bulat said, almost in empathy. “Yeah… something like that.” Qrow replied gruffly. “But if I’m here, my semblance isn’t affecting her. And if I know my niece, she’s giving your friend back there one hell of a problem.” (Chasing Down the Chaos Kin) “Then you don’t know Mine.” Bulat responded, getting refocused. He rushed Qrow, who blocked the armoured punch with Harbinger. There was visible strain on Qrow’s face, but he was managing. For now. Bulat hammered away with punches from both arms, which Qrow needed to act fast to block. Eventually, one punch sent the sword wide, and allowed Bulat to knock Qrow right in the chest. As the huntsman recoiled, he planted his blade to break the speed of his skid. He landed right by the side of a smaller boat, looking up to see Bulat had already recovered his spear. “Crap…” Qrow muttered, as Bulat swung, knocking a nearby chunk of wooden debris at the bad luck charm. Qrow ran forwards, jumping off the projectile to gain further momentum. He then began spinning in the air, building up all the momentum he could and battering Bulat’s defences. Bulat held firm, swinging with his left hand and trying to claw at Qrow’s head. The huntsman backed off, but this time his movement gave Bulat the perfect opening to ram his spear into the midsection, blasting Qrow through several wooden boxes. Fish spilled from the shattered boxes, and Qrow flung them aside in disgust, but soon realised he was in trouble when his aura began to crackle. “You’re done!” Bulat yelled through the suit, bringing down the spear for Qrow’s head. The huntsman skidded to a side, allowing Bulat to slam through the floor, getting himself stuck twixt the boards. Qrow then quickly delivered a running chop across the front of Incursio’s chest, resulting in the Teigu finally subsiding. (Music Stops) Bulat panted heavily, as the bruises began to appear on his face. But Qrow was no better for wear, resting on a knee, and brushing a hand through his soaked hair. Bulat smirked as he began to comb his hair back into shape. “The hell are you made of?” Qrow asked, as he finally helped himself to his feet. Bulat smirked. “You can thank my Empire days for a lot of that. They used to call me one hundred man-” “Alright, alright. You don’t need to play it tough, y’know. I can see that little cut across the cheek. I got you good.” Qrow smirked back. The pair nodded, a show of respect for one another, but they had to put that aside once more; the mission was still at stake. And the mission always had to come first. “I probably won’t be able to use Incursio again for a while. So, this makes the fight that little more fair, wouldn’t you say?” “I wouldn’t, actually.” Qrow finalised, rotating the Harbinger into its scythe function for the first time in the match. “Let’s go!” he challenged, bringing it down in a sweeping cleave. (Bad Luck Charm Remix) Bulat quickly drew his sword, and redirected the scythe slightly. But Qrow twirled the handle and dragged the arch for Bulat’s legs. The assassin hopped over it, but Qrow’s range with the weapon was far exceeding any of Bulat’s. Qrow then scored a slight tag as the scythe raked down the shoulder pad of the Night Raid assassin. Bulat grunted, but kept his composure and began swinging his blade in an x motion, rapid slices – all focused on the centre of Qrow’s body. The huntsman realised the heavy swings of a scythe were not ideal for parrying off the speed of the attacks, so quickly rotated his sword back into the fray, holding firm. Qrow then cried out in desperation, as he went to press an offensive of his own. Bulat held him off valiantly. Qrow had a plan though; he had noticed a peculiarly positioned stack of boats. Unsafely stacked. Qrow disguised his intentions by laying down a slice to the left of Bulat, forcing him to dodge and skid with his back to the boats. Qrow then had to keep him pinned there. He fired round after round towards him, forcing a rapid flurry of deflections. “C’mon…” Qrow grumbled to himself, practically willing his semblance to help him out. A few seconds later, the top two boats began to fall – so Qrow held his fire, shrugging at Bulat’s seemingly unbreakable guard. Unfortunately, Qrow hadn’t been aware of Bulat’s awareness to the situation. He quickly chopped the boat in half and knocked the stack backwards. “You know, it pays for me to always be aware of my surroundings.” He added. Qrow glared across at him, exhaustion seeping in. He transformed his sword once more into a scythe, chasing Bulat down. The scythe clashed with the sword, and Qrow tried swings from the left side, shepherding Bulat into the narrow path behind them. But Bulat was more than aware, and altered his approach with a swing of his weapon-less fist. Qrow groaned as the punch squashed his nose, breaking it. The huntsman staggered backwards, as blood poured down his face. He then took a punch to the mouth, sending teeth flying, but Qrow wouldn’t lose. No. He couldn’t yet! He activated his scythe one last time, as he and Bulat rushed each other one more time. They lead with their best hits, and hit as true as they could, but the aura-less Qrow was the one to feel the brunt of the exchange. The sword came through his gut, and he fell to his knees. He coughed, spitting up red into the pooling rain. “Damn…” he grumbled. He forced himself back to his feet, trying to draw his weapon. If Bulat was gonna kill him, Qrow was going to make him work for it! Qrow trembled on his feet, as the pain shot through him. Bulat remained professional, and cut Qrow’s weapon out of his hand before ending it with a clean stab through the heart. (Twin Souls) Qrow leant forwards, hunched over the blade, Bulat held him there until he could feel Qrow stop moving altogether and then finally lay him to rest. Qrow lay at the entrance to the alley and Bulat collected Harbinger for his troubles. The exhausted Night Raid assassin trudged back to the docks, brushing his hair once more, only for the teeth of the comb to mangle. Bulat smirked shortly, looking back at Qrow, who had been holding on just to spite Bulat one last time. “Good luck… Ruby…” he muttered, before as the shadow of Bulat fell over him. With a hard slam of the spear, Qrow’s body splattered over the docks – blood permeating the rain pooled walkway. (Music Stops) Bulat then looked back out at sea, wherever the ship may be now. “I'm leaving the rest of this to you, Mine. Finish... the mission.” He said to himself, before sitting back against the crate on the dock - spent. KO! Conclusion (A Friend's Feelings) Boomstick: NOOO! Qrow! ' Wiz: The huntsman was a tremendously skilled combatant, but Bulat had him matched and then surpassed in most categories. For starters, Bulat was far stronger. Whereas Qrow could power through stone pillars and walls, Bulat was able to tap into Incursio and fell back on powerful clubbinb blows natural to his style. '''Boomstick: Making Qrow's combination of quick cross cuts and jabs were always up against it. Not that he was too unfamiliar with a raw strength tactic, however; he did go up against Hazel in Volume 5. The problem was that Qrow never displayed ''competence ''against these styled combatants. ' Wiz: Qrow had a lot going for him in the way of movement speed; his unarmoured frame meant much less weight and but Bulat has never indicated a struggle when it comes to combating nimble foes. In the Three Beasts arc, Bulat overcame several quicker opponents than himself. This was never accomplished through changing his style outright, but rather using supreme awareness of his surroundings: This is supported by Bulat's efficiency against the assassin clan sent to exterminate Night Raid in the early stages of the anime. 'Boomstick: Bulat allowed them to rush past him, while he remained stood still. Once he had a read on the situation, he struck very few times, but with very deliberate motions - taking them quickly and decisively. Hell, even without the Kylian Mbappe levels of pace, Bulat had incredible reactions. ' Wiz: During the encounter with Liver, he blocked the bulk of the Blood Sword attacks - a last ditch effort by the fallen general who was already defeated by Bulat in swordplay. Again, this was limited movement but very deliberate action - this time even without the boost of Incursio. Of course though, Qrow did have versatility to keep challenging Bulat into the late game; Harbinger is three different weapons in one, but none of them individually threatened Bulat enough to hand a victory. 'Boomstick: As skilled as a swordsman as Qrow was, Bulat had him equally matched. The rifle / shotgun offered little more than range and the scythe was simply another duelling tool that Bulat could match. ' Wiz: And whereas Bulat had answers to Qrow, the same could not be said the other way around. Incursio was a powerful armour type Teigu forged from the ancient Danger Beast: Tyrant. Qrow had no means of countering the brute force or invisibility offered by the Imperial Arms. (Skyreach) 'Boomstick: Durability was a tough call; Qrow's aura could sponge a lot of attacks, but so could Incursio. And Bulat's natural hard bastard persona did give him the means to keep up with Qrow's aura enhanced state. ' Wiz: The closest thing to compare between them was how well they coped when poisoned, but even then Bulat had him topped. When poisoned by the lethal toxic Blood Swords, Bulat ''willed ''himself through at least another five minutes to allow Tatsumi to complete the mission. Whereas Qrow was incapacitated soon after from a less deadly poisonous attack. '''Boomstick: But wait, how the hell did Bulat cope with Qrow's semblance? Wiz: Well, he didn't. See, misfortune could effect individual acts of Bulat, but did not make him any less tough, nor did it take away from his skill as a fighter. Meaning any opening Qrow's semblance created could not be effectively capitalised on. Plus, Qrow has no real control over how ''his semblance will take place. It is simply random chance that it will benefit him the way he needs. Sure, he may have a little hint about what and where, but he can not guarantee how it will play out. '''Boomstick: And although Qrow had numerous ways of stalling the fight thanks to his ability to shapeshift into a crow, he had no real outlet that conceivably put him ahead of Bulat. ' Wiz: In summary, Bulat was a firm brick wall combatant, with a sledgehammer in response - a much too tall a challenge for Qrow, who was skilled - but was more of a surgical needle in comparison. Qrow could keep the fight up, and would have Bulat worried at times, but the vastly more experienced soldier would soon overcome the huntsman. 'Boomstick: Bulat's physicality was enough to ''spear''head a win - a victory to ''crow ''about. ' Wiz: The winner is Bulat! Category:Peep4Life Category:What-If? 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